Official 'sorry' is 'no sorry' personally

By Rypvanwinkle

"Thaaththa," Bindu Udagedera asked, "who is taking decisions in this country?"
"Why, Bindu," Bindu's father Percy said, "there are many people who take many decisions..."
"But who takes the really important decisions, thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.
"What are the decisions that are really important, Bindu?" Percy asked.
"Well, for instance, decisions regarding security matters..." Bindu said.
"I suppose that would be the Minister of Defence or the secretary to that Ministry..." Percy suggested.
"Then, thaaththa," Bindu queried, "who took that decision to send those people in lodges to Vavuniya?"
"Why are you so worried about that?" Percy asked.
"Why, thaaththa, everyone is blaming everybody else for that," Bindu observed, "that is why it is important to find out whose decision it was..."
"Why do you say that?" Percy queried.
"Why, thaaththa," Bindu said, "the Prime Minister has apologised for what happened..."
"That would be the correct thing to do," Percy said, "if you think that a mistake has been made..."
"But thaaththa," Bindu said, "the mistake was not made by the Prime Minister..."
"How can you say that?" Percy inquired.
"Well," Bindu said, "he never said that he made the decision to send all those people to Vavuniya..."
"Then," Percy asked, "who took that decision?"
"That is what we all want to know..." Bindu declared.
"Why is it so important now?" Percy asked, "after all, the Prime Minister has apologised..."
"But thaaththa," Bindu pointed out, "he is being found fault with for apologising..."
"Who is blaming him for apologising?" Percy wanted to know.
"Why, Jeyaraj is saying there is no real need to apologise..."Bindu said.
"But didn't he also say that that was his personal opinion..." Percy queried.
"If it is just his personal opinion, why does he have to make such a song and dance about it?" Bindu asked.
"Maybe someone asked him to..." Percy suggested.
"That maybe so," Bindu agreed, "but that is not all, thaaththa..."
"Why do you say that?" Percy asked.
"Why, even Uncle Gotabhaya has said that he too sees nothing wrong in sending all those people to Vavuniya..."
"Is that also his personal opinion?" Percy asked.
"I am not so sure about that..." Bindu said.
"Then," Percy said, "maybe someone asked him to say that too..." Percy said.
"That is a possibility..." Bindu conceded.
"Then," Percy proposed, "when the Prime Minister was apologising, couldn't that too have been his personal opinion?"
"No, thaaththa," Bindu said, "they have said that he was stating the official government position..."
"So, that explains everything then..." Percy said.
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?" Bindu asked, puzzled.
"Why, it is easy to understand," Percy said, "someone decided that the official government position is that there should be an apology for sending all those people to Vavuniya..."
"But what about the defence secretary and a minister criticising that apology in public?" Bindu asked.
"Well, the same someone decided that while the government was officially apologising, others should criticise that, saying it was their personal opinion..." Percy explained.
"So, thaaththa, what does this someone really feel? Does he feel he should apologise or not?" Bindu asked.
"Officially, he will apologise," Percy said, "personally, I don't think he cares one bit..."
"And who is this someone, thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.
"Ah," Percy said, "I have my personal opinion about that..."